Fated to Mate with My Beloved White Wolf

Logan continued to walk through the forest, paying no attention to the direction his steps were taking him. He felt as though he was moving against a tide, as though he was leaving all he had always wanted behind him. All that his heart and wolf wanted was to turn back and see his mate again, but his brain needed a break from everything that had just happened. He reached the edge of a creek and sat down on a tree stump beside it. The creek was his comfort spot, a place where he could offload and recharge. It had been his favorite spot as a young werewolf, and now, with all the responsibilities of an Alpha on his shoulders, he found himself coming here more often. The creek was frozen over due to the weather, its surface shining like a lake of glass. Logan stared into it, seeing his reflection look back up at him. His was the face of a tired young man who had been dealt the rougher side of life. From a very young age, he had been made the Alpha in his father's stead, having to rule over people who were older and more experienced than him. It wasn't easy being a teenage alpha. He'd had to put aside his own needs and emotions for the good of the whole pack, and the years had taken a huge toll on him. All his life had revolved around being an Alpha and taking care of his people and he had paid little attention to anything else, including finding a mate. He didn't want one, period. He had seen what having and losing a mate had done to his father, how the old man had given himself slowly to misery till he became a shadow of his former self. He didn't want to ever experience that, to love someone so much that losing them felt like death. But somehow the Goddess had decided to make his life worse by giving him the one thing he least wanted: a mate, even though he'd rather do without one. She was his responsibility now, more because of the situation he'd found her. He wasn't so callous as to abandon a lone wolf in need of help, whether she was his mate or not. With that thought in mind, he opened the mind link, trying to reach Casper. Within a few seconds, his beta answered. ''Alpha… Casper called''. ''Casper, take my…take the white wolf to the pack's clinic. Make sure she's well taken care of''. ''Alright, Alpha. We're on it. Casper paused, as though contemplating what he was about to say''. Then he spoke up again. ''Alpha, are you sure you're okay? You looked a little put out the other time''. ''It's alright, Casper, I'm fine. Thanks for acting concerned''. ''It wasn't an act, Alpha. I was genuinely worried. I've never seen you act like that''. ''Well, there's a first time for everything, isn't there Casper?'' Logan answered in a not-too-kind voice. ''Oh, I'm sorry if I passed my bounds, Alpha''. The beta replied and cut off the mind link. Logan closed his eyes and let the cold air wash over him, soothe his frayed nerves. His mind went back to his mate and he wondered how she was faring. Every time he thought of her his wolf would jump in excitement and impatience to see her again. Suddenly he found himself wishing he was by her side instead of by this lonely creek. A thought crossed his mind uninvited and he paused, opening his eyes. What if she was a spy, planted at the pack's border by the rogue wolves? The crescent mark he had seen on her shoulder pointed very convincingly to that fact. In his ten years of being an Alpha, he hadn't come across any wolf with that mark. It was strange and looked eerily ancient, like a long-forgotten hieroglyph. ''What if she wasn't really in pain and in need of help?'' ''What if he had imprinted on the enemy?'' His wolf groaned in defiance at that unwelcome thought and he stood abruptly from the tree stump, moving towards the pack house. If that was the case, if she really was a spy planted in his territory, he would have no choice but to kill her. Immediately this thought crossed his mind his inner wolf snarled dangerously. Don't kill mate. She's the Chosen! His wolf screamed. "Shut up!" He growled out loud and his voice scared a couple of birds from the trees. Thank the Goddess he was alone in the woods. His subjects would think he had finally lost it if he was found talking to himself. His wolf reared its head and reminded him She's your mate! Killing her would bring you unbearable pain! You'll regret it for the rest of your life! "But accepting her as my mate would cause more harm than good. She might be a spy; she might have been planted here by the enemy. And I cannot risk falling in love and going through everything only to be left miserable at the end of my life. Have you seen what losing a mate did to my father?" His wolf snorted in derision and asked Are you your father? Last time I checked you were not!" "I'm not." He replied, frowning "Doesn't mean it can't happen. And I'm not willing to take that dangerous risk on my life. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to end the subject there." His wolf growled in rebellion and retreated into a corner of his mind, still muttering threats. Another voice replaced that of the wolf in his head. It was the voice of Casper through a mind link and he silently swore. He was sick of everyone getting into his head so much in one day. ''If you mind link me again, Casper…'' ''Alpha…Sorry for disturbing your quiet again''. ''There's news''. His beta's voice was slightly amused. He probably thought his Alpha was overreacting. ''Bad or good this time?'' Logan asked. His thoughts immediately traveled to the white wolf that was now his mate and despite his resolution to end her life, he found his heart skipping a beat as he contemplated the thought that something had happened to her. ''Depends on how you want to look at it''. Casper answered, his voice still amused. ''The lone wolf we found? She's awake.'' ''He looked up and towards the pack house in excitement. She is?'' ''Yes. She's morphed back to human too. You should come to see her''. ''Keep her there''. He replied to his beta after several seconds. ''Restrict every effort she might make to escape. I'm on my way right now''. He concluded and closed the mind link. His wolf became excited again as he walked away from the frozen creek and towards the pack house and his mate. He tried to shush his wolf but deep down, he was excited too. He would finally meet the she-wolf that had made him feel so many unfamiliar emotions in the space of a few hours. God help him if he had to kill her in the end. He was too deep in this already.

Aella woke up with a start. Beads of white spots danced before her eyelids and she groaned tiredly, wondering where she was. Her eyelids were shut tight and she struggled to open them but couldn't. It had been closed for more than a day and she'd been stuck in the snow. The cold had completely numbed her body, she realized. She attempted to move her limbs and realized that they felt different. She frowned, eyes still closed, wondering why she felt like she was in a different body. Her limbs were as immobile as stone figures and all she could do was roll her shoulders from side to side. She cast her mind back, trying to remember how she had gotten to the snow in the first place, but all she remembered was running through the blizzard and the fear that had taken root in her chest. She couldn't remember how or why she was running in the snow, but after a while, she had fallen from exhaustion and passed out. And now she was here, in this strange place. Her body was still heavy with exhaustion and she found herself giving in to the fatigue. She felt warm and well taken care of, and soon her brain went fuzzy with warmth as all thoughts slipped from her grasp and sleep overcame her again. When Aella woke again, she felt much better than the last time. She slowly opened her eyes and looked around. Her vision was slightly blurred at the edges and white spots danced before her eyes. She tried to sit up but fell back to the bed in exhaustion and resorted to staring around at the room. It was plain and without any major décor, large and unoccupied save for her. Everything looked whitewashed and sterilized, and the whole room smelled of antiseptic. Her bed was in the corner of the large room close to the wall, with a large window behind her. She looked down at herself and saw that she was stark naked, covered only by the white sheet. Suddenly her sharp ears picked up footsteps from the left of wherever she was. Her head snapped up and she looked around, her teeth slightly bared and a snarl low in her throat. The door of whatever room she was in creaked open and a head peeked into the room. She still kept her canines bared as a warning to the person and he smiled, walking into the room. His smile was genial and friendly and Aella found herself relaxing a little. But a part of her was still on edge. She'd seen her fair share of people who pretended to be nice then turned on her the moment she turned her back. "Hello." He greeted, still smiling cheerfully. "I'm Frank Callister, the pack's doctor." Aella didn't spare him a reply. She glared at him with all the suspicion she could muster in her present state. Her canines were still bared and her eyes glowed amber with danger. "You were found on the border, close to the woods. Do you happen to remember how you got there?" The doctor asked. Still ignoring him, she sat back on the bed and faced the wall. The doctor moved towards her bed and continued "Okay, I'm sorry. That must have sounded inconsiderate. How are you feeling?" Aella continued to ignore him. He stared at her bemusedly for a few seconds, then sighed "I guess you're still in shock about all that has happened in the past few hours. I'll fetch the Alpha, perhaps he would have more luck talking to you." With this last statement, the doctor left her in the room and walked out. She continued to keep mute, staring at the whitewashed wall. Within a few minutes, the door creaked open again and another person entered the room. She turned away from the wall and her eyes fell upon the person that entered. Immediately she felt a jolt of several emotions, so vivid that she almost cried out. Her body and mind were drawn to him in a way that she had never been drawn to anyone before. She almost whimpered with need as he looked at her from opposite the room. He looked as though he had felt the energy between them too, and he was trying valiantly to stay as far away from her as possible. Aella tried to right herself but everything felt different this time. She turned away, swallowing hard and trying to gather her thoughts and hoping the feeling would pass. But by the time she looked at him again that same jolt hit her in her stomach and she fought the urge to bolt from the bed and wrap her hands around him, be in him and by him, and never let go. She saw him close his eyes and look away, his throat working as he tried to regain his composure. Did he also feel what she felt? Her wolf was turning around in excitement, screaming mate! mate! She glared at him, annoyed that someone she just met was making her feel so many emotions at once. She immediately resolved to make it hard for him to know her. She would be as unresponsive and stubborn as ever. It was the only way she thought she could punish him for making her feel this way. He turned his face back to her and she had a chance to appreciate his features. He was a fine-looking man with all the endearing qualities of a literal god. His raven-black hair was done in a messy ponytail which was almost slipping from its band. His mouth was pursed as he studied her, revealing a set of dimples that softened the hard edges of his face. From this distance, she couldn't tell the color of his eyes but they were regarding her with something close to dread. This silent once-over took several minutes before the man cleared his throat nervously "I see you're awake." He started. Desire hit Aella like a blizzard as she heard his voice and a whimper slipped from her lips. He had heard the whimper; she saw how he gasped under his breath and lick his lips nervously. He took several steps forward and she backed up till her back hit the wall behind her. His smell hit her nose: something earthy like cedarwood. She sniffed twice and closed her eyes in bliss. She could smell this all day. "You were found close to my territory. You were unconscious and half-buried in the snow. Apparently, you passed off just outside this pack's border...Or not." Aella's breath hitched as she saw the look in his eyes. They were cold and impenetrable; He was clearly suspecting her of something. Anger clogged her throat and she snarled almost inaudibly. How dare he turn her insides out with desire, then act like she was a problem he wanted to do away with? She snarled again and said nothing, bent on frustrating him even more. He continued without noticing the change in her mood. "I want to know who you are and why you were found close to my territory. As Alpha of this pack, it is important that I find out everything I need to know about every intruder." Oh, so I'm an intruder now? Who was all in my head a few seconds ago? She thought. She frowned and turned her head, not meeting his eyes. The man shuffled his feet nervously "Did you hear me, lady? I would like to know all about you, starting with your name. It's important." She continued to ignore him, acting as though nobody was in the room with her. He closed the small gap left between them and sat on her bed. His cedarwood smell invaded her nose even more strongly and she almost felt her resolve slipping, but she hardened her expression and looked him squarely in the eyes. "As Alpha," he growled, his breath warming her face "I command you to answer my questions. Now." She kept her mouth shut, still staring at him stubbornly. Her face was hard but his scent was already messing with her head in all the wrong ways. When she still didn't reply to him, he let out a shout of frustration and stood up abruptly from the bed, storming to the door of the hospital room. Once there he turned back to look at her, his face filled with rage. And without another word, he left the room angrily. Aella sighed with relief after he left the room. She didn't know how much longer she could hold this up but hopefully, she would be able to escape from here before any more damage was done. She closed her eyes and tried to regulate her heart, hoping the Alpha never visited her again. But little did she know that her life was about to change forever.

Logan's POV Logan paced the hallway outside the white wolf's hospital room, waiting for the doctor. His thoughts were all over the place, and despite his resolution, he found himself aching to see her. In the space of a few hours, she had changed the trajectory of his life. She was all he wanted now. Even the rogue attacks had been pushed to an obscure corner of his mind by her presence. He wanted to mark and claim her in every way possible, place a mark on her that told the world that she was his and his alone. He wanted nothing more than to be with his mate, to hell with whatever may be happening around him. His mate? He swore silently under his breath and raked his hand through his ponytail. He sounded like he was already accepting her as his lifelong partner. He would never mark her as his mate. If she was truly innocent of the crimes of being a spy, he would let her go and never think about her again. And if she was really a spy sent to snoop on his pack's activities, he would make sure today was the last day she spent on earth. His wolf growled in protest as that last thought crossed his mind. You seem to have forgotten how mating works, it said. If anything, bad happens to your mate it would happen to you too. Your destinies are intertwined now and it would be a futile effort trying to separate yourself from her. Killing her would make you end up like your father. Do you want that? I did not remember asking you for any advice, Logan replied his wolf in his mind. So shut up! ''Don't say I didn't warn you,'' Alpha. His wolf replied with a grumble. Before Logan could fire back with a reply, Frank Callister the pack doctor walked out of the hospital room with a slightly annoyed look on his face. Logan turned to the doctor with questions in his eyes. "How is she?" He asked the doctor "I was told that she's awake." "Yes, she is, Alpha." Doctor Frank replied "But as for the being fine part, you should ask her that yourself. She has refused to answer any of my questions or say anything at all. Perhaps you would have more luck trying to get her to talk?" Logan nodded at the doctor who bowed in response and walked away, leaving the alpha alone in the hallway. The Alpha took several deep breaths, then pushed through the hospital room's wooden door. The white wolf was facing the wall with her back to him. He was about to call her when she turned her face and he was hit by another wave of emotions like when he had first seen her. Logan heard her gasp and he knew that she had also felt what he was feeling. They stood on opposite sides of the room: the alpha by the door and the white wolf in the corner, but the currents of attraction that moved between them were as strong as if they were standing side by side. He saw her look away as though she was trying to regather her composure, but when she looked back at him there was that same sizzling wave of desire and need again. He closed his eyes and looked away, fighting the urge to move closer to her. When he opened his eyes and looked at her again, the expression of shock and need that had been on her face had been replaced with a calm stubbornness. Logan looked at her uncertainly, wondering what had changed in the few seconds that he'd closed his eyes. She was looking at him but with a defiant look, as though daring him to do his worst. He continued to stare longingly at her. In human form, she was a very attractive woman, with long curly black hair and dark eyes. Her hair looked unkempt as though she had not taken good care of it for several days, but that didn't diminish her beauty in any way. In fact, he found himself even more attracted to her despite the obvious state of untidiness. Her skin was a rosy shade of pink, slightly tanned and smooth. Logan wanted desperately to run his fingers along that skin and see how it felt to the touch. He caught himself hardening just by looking at her and he cleared his throat nervously, trying to push away the metal picture of her lying naked and pliant under him. "I see you're awake." He said, moving forward and slowly closing the gap between them. She ignored his question and continued to stare at him with defiance in her eyes. He found himself starting to get annoyed at the expression on her face. He also hardened his expression into something close to suspicion and hatred. Two can play at this game, he thought. "You were found close to my territory. You were unconscious and half-buried in the snow. Apparently, you passed off just outside this pack's border...Or not." He continued with all the suspicion he could muster. "I want to know who you are and why you were found close to my territory. As Alpha of this pack, it is important that I find out everything I need to know about every intruder. Did you hear me, lady? I would like to know all about you, starting with your name. It's important." She continued to ignore his prompts and he felt anger rising in his chest. He moved closer to her, sitting on her bed. "As Alpha," he growled in her face "I command you to answer my questions. Now." She continued to stare at him stubbornly, her big brown eyes locking into his. With a shout of frustration, Logan stood from the bed and stormed to the door. He stopped and looked back at her, wondering how one person could make him feel love and hatred at the same time. Then without another word, he left the room. Once outside, he took several breaths to calm his frayed nerves. He walked away from the clinic room's door and towards his own quarters, feeling the rage leave his body. He would find out why she had invaded his pack one way or another. He would make her break down and tell him the truth about everything. He got to the hallway that led to the Alpha's quarters and stopped in his tracks, seeing a figure standing before his room door. When the person saw him, she gave a squeal of delight and walked over to him. "Alpha." She cooed and gave a bow that Logan knew was fake. "I was waiting for you. Is it true?" The alpha gritted his teeth, trying to control his anger "Is what true?" "The rogue werewolf!" She rolled her eyes and flipped her blonde locs "I heard from the beta that she was found half dead at the border." Logan groaned inwardly. Trust Casper to run his mouth and create problems like this for him. "Yes, Kylie." He replied, trying to move but she was blocking his way. He looked at her with barely concealed rage and she smiled up at him, batting her eyelashes as though she was unaware of what she was doing. "You know, alpha." She continued "Not to invalidate your decision, but keeping her here in the pack house isn't really good for the rest of us pack members. She could turn and get violent, you know. It would be best to send her back into the woods where she belongs." Logan stared at the she-wolf with distaste in his eyes. Her attempt at flirting wasn't lost on him but he kept his opinions to himself. "Thank you for your opinion, Kylie." Logan grunted "I will think about it." He managed to squeeze himself past her and moved to his bedroom door, opened it, and went inside. Kylie watched as the alpha practically fled into his room, her flirty face melting into something more sinister. Her smile turned to a smirk and she laughed derisively at the Alpha's inability to get all her cryptic messages. She hardened her face determinedly and sashayed out of the hallway. One day, very soon, she would sink her claws into him and he would be hers forever.

Casper has learnt in his many years as a beta to be a man of actions and not just words. He used to be a very carefree man, light-hearted and full of laughs, till he was made the beta for Logan, a quiet young man of fifteen then. He had been one of the few people Logan had included in his social circle, more because of his skills in battle than anything. Logan had taught him patience, discipline, and the ability to back up his words with action. He had been the most reserved and disciplined young werewolf when they were growing up. It was clear that he was destined to be an alpha, whether or not he was the son of an alpha. He wasn't one to let petty things trouble him, and he usually proffered solutions to any problems quickly and efficiently. So, Casper was aghast when he saw the same Alpha in his room looking troubled. Many questions from him about his troubled mood proved futile as Logan wasn't giving any answers. "I know you'd prefer not to tell me what is troubling you but it is important that you tell me," Casper said. "But I'm your beta because you need someone you can share your burden with." "I would rather not, Casper." The alpha replied gruffly, appearing uninterested. "But Alpha..." "Casper, drop it. Please." Casper eyed him warily. "If you say so. I've been meaning to ask you something about the white wolf we rescued." Immediately Casper mentioned the white wolf, the Alpha raised his head in alarm. He realized that he had looked too interested and quickly checked himself. In a split second, he rearranged his expression from interest to indifference. "Yeah, what about her?" Logan asked in what he hoped was an unconcerned voice. Casper looked at him with suspicion. The alpha was definitely hiding something. "I wanted to ask about the mark you found on her shoulder. What do you think it means? Frankly, I have never seen anything like it before. Rogue werewolves are known to draw tattoos that separate them from normal packs but that's one tattoo I've never seen before." Logan signed and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers "Yeah, you might want to keep that information to yourself, Casper." He said "Stuff like that can cause an uproar among the people. It would be best if we kept anything about the white wolf or her mark or how we found her to ourselves. Inform Dr. Frank to not say a word to anyone about it too, till I fix all of this." "Noted." Casper replied, nodding his head "And what do you plan on doing with her in the end? She would still pose a problem whether she's a spy or not. Would you kill her or imprison her?" Logan turned to him in alarm. Casper could read his expression as easily as an open book. His face was full of doubt and the beta could see that he was hesitating to make any judgment. It was like the Alpha was going against everything he preached. "I haven't made a decision yet." Logan answered after a few seconds of silence "But in the meantime, tell Dr. Frank to keep her in the clinic till I figure something out. She is not to go anywhere or talk to anyone else. Not like she does a lot of talking anyway." He added under his breath. Casper looked at his alpha and wondered what type of emotional turmoil could be going on inside him that would cause the man to act so distractedly. Was it the presence of the white wolf or something else? With this last thought, he inclined his head towards the Alpha in greeting and walked out of the room, leaving Logan to his thoughts. Logan sighed with relief as Casper left his room. He knew he couldn't take a minute more of his beta's incessant questions. Everything seemed to be getting to him these days. Usually, he would have answered Casper's questions seamlessly but he had caught himself struggling for words and solutions. All his mind could conjure was a curly, dark-haired, mute woman that the Goddess had forced upon him as his mate. His thoughts randomly went to his father and he sighed as he remembered how great the old man had once been. He remembered being a young boy and idolizing his father, admiring the alpha he was. His father had been a great alpha, fierce in battle yet loving and gentle with his people. He loved his son and his mate Jessica very much. Maybe a little too much. The death of Jessica his mate had made him retreat to a dark corner of his mind till he slowly began to lose his sanity. People had thought that he would get over it after a few months but he had gotten much worse, till the Council of Alphas declared him invalid and unable to rule, thereby crowning fifteen-year-old Logan as Alpha in his stead. Logan sometimes resented his mother for dying and leaving his father like that, but most times he thought most of the blame rested on his father. The man had been too weak and soft-hearted, giving room to love and be loved, and it has cost him a lot. The story of his father had taught him the dangers and implications of giving yourself wholly to someone. He had vowed to never follow that path. Ever. Not until this white wolf had come and turned his world upside down. Logan grunted in frustration at the direction of his thoughts and stood from the desk behind which he was sitting, heading towards the door of his room. He would see his father again to remind himself of the dangers of falling in love. His father had been moved from the main Alpha's quarters to a small room on the ground floor of the pack house, where he was to spend the rest of his days. Once Logan got there, he opened the door without any preliminaries and peeped inside. His father was fast asleep on a couch by the window, his head lolling carelessly over the arm of the couch and his hands and legs flung about. His long gray hair was flowing down from the arm of the couch to the ground and he had almost a week's worth of stubble on his chin. He was letting out a great unpleasant snore that made Logan turn his head in distaste. The alpha moved closer to his father and wrinkled his nose as the smell of whiskey and stale sweat hit his nostrils. Several bottles of the stuff were lying around and Logan saw that his father was clutching something to his chest. He gently removed the thing and saw that it was a picture of his mother, Jessica. Typical. His father often slept off with the picture in his hand. Logan's father was a defeated man. The alpha's face hardened as he looked at the face of his mother smiling up at him from the picture. She used to be a beautiful woman and used to bake him cookies that he never ate because they were too sugary. He remembered throwing a lot of her cookies away and then lying to her that he enjoyed them just to please her. He never really had a close relationship with his mother: from an early age, he had been training to be an alpha and barely had time for anything else. He looked back up at the snoring vulnerable man on the couch and hardened his resolve. If this was the price for love, he would never ever allow any woman into his life to treating him like this. Ever. And with that last thought, Alpha Logan returned the picture to his father's chest and walked away, leaving his past behind.

When Logan woke again it was early morning. Soft sunlight slipped through the curtains above his bed and he winced, raising his hand to his cheek and touching the warmth the sunlight had left there. He opened his eyes and sat up, looking around groggily, and suddenly he was jolted by the ring of his bedside clock which read 7:00 am. He switched off the alarm and threw aside his bedcovers, slipping his feet into his pajama slippers. The alpha rubbed his eyes and sighed in contentment, walking towards his bathroom. He had never felt this satisfied in a long while. On his way to his bathroom, he passed his vanity mirror and stopped, staring at his reflection. A tousle-haired, crusty-eyed well-built man stared back at him. On impulse, he smiled faintly, as though enjoying the image that the mirror reflected. A few stolen moments of peace like this were worth all the chaos he would have to face later in the day. He walked into his bathroom and freshened up, brushing his teeth and taking a hot shower. He caught himself whistling cheerfully once or twice. Logan was mildly surprised at his happy mood as the past day had been full of depressing events. From the rogue attacks to the discovery of the white wolf to Kylie's recent attempt at getting his attention and his visit to his father, his mood should have been anything but cheerful. He walked out of the bathroom with only a towel on and noticed that a servant had laid his clothes on the bed. He slipped into the navy-blue button shirt and matching blue pants, completing it with black loafers. He combed and pulled his hair back in its characteristic ponytail and walked out of his room. The dining room where he was supposed to have breakfast was located on the ground floor of the pack house, close to the kitchens. When he entered the dining room, he saw that his wolf aides were already waiting for him, sitting around the long dining table. They all rose in greeting when he came in and he gestured to them to sit down. "Good morning, everyone. I see we're already having breakfast." He said cheerfully. Casper who was sitting to his right noticed the change in his mood as opposed to yesterday and wondered what must have gotten the alpha so happy. "Yes, Alpha." His gamma who was sitting to his left answered "We thought you won't be joining us for breakfast today." "Well, I had a change of heart," Logan responded and gestured to one of the servants, who proceeded to serve his breakfast. Suddenly the doors to the dining room opened and a servant came in, bowing to the wolves. She turned to Casper. "Beta, the patient you requested is here." "Oh, bring her in," Casper replied. While Logan wondered what patient they were talking about, the servant turned and walked out of the room, coming back a few seconds later with none other than the white wolf they had rescued. Aella was dressed in a simple white slip-on dress that reached her ankles. Her feet were bare and her hair had been let down so it flowed down her back and shoulders in lush black waves. Her brown eyes were big and staring around the room in wonder as she took in the number of male wolves sitting around the table. The whole room had gone silent as the men in the seats watched her with awe and amazement. They had sincerely never seen any she-wolf as stunning as her. A snarl slipped from Logan's mouth as he saw all the men staring at her. His mate instinct kicked in and he stood up, walking towards her. He reached her and immediately, her scent hit his nostrils again. Cinnamon, he thought. She smelled of cinnamon and crushed lilies. "Why are you barefoot?" He whispered huskily, trying his best not to move closer to her. He feared that he would give himself away if he got too close to her and lost control. "I prefer it that way." She replied sharply, pushing at his chest to walk further into the room. Even that little contact had affected him in ways he couldn't explain. He stumbled and quickly righted himself, feeling the anger bubbling to the surface. How dare she treat him, an alpha, that way? She reached the table and took a seat beside Casper, smiling at the men around the table. Slowly they all continued their breakfast, still watching her discreetly. She dug into the food that was laid on the table, filling her plate with breakfast. Logan gritted his teeth in anger and walked towards the table, turning her chair with a force so that she faced him. "You!" Logan yelled "How dare you come in here and make yourself comfortable without my permission? How dare you even walk in here without my knowledge?" "Do you have a problem with that?" She asked, staring into his eyes while slowly putting a forkful of scrambled eggs into her mouth. The effect that had on him was inexplicable. He found himself gaping at her lips as they closed around the fork. He quickly turned his back on her and faced Casper. "I don't remember asking you to bring her in here." He yelled. "Why did you bring her?" Casper dropped his fork calmly and faced his Alpha "She was already getting better and it would not be prudent to keep her in the clinic. And since there was nowhere else to keep her, I decided to bring her here. I didn't know it would be a problem." "Well, it is a problem." Logan responded sharply "You shouldn't do things behind my back and without my prior notice." The woman stood up and faced Logan in defiance "Hey!" She cut in "You know I'm here, right? Stop acting like I can't hear all that's being said about me." "Shut up!" Logan snarled without even soaring her a glance. "What if I don't?" He turned to her abruptly and came so close to her that they were practically sharing breaths "You are nothing but a stranger we rescued and you should be grateful for that." He breathed into her face. "You will obey me as the alpha of this pack, without any questions. Do you understand?" She stood on tiptoe as he was several inches taller than her and met his eyes squarely "What if I don't?" She repeated. He growled as his haunches were raised in anger. "Everyone, get out." He whispered, but his whisper carried around the silent room. The rest of the wolves scrambled to get out of the room, leaving the alpha, his beta, and Aella in the dining room. "I want to know who you are and why you were found close to my territory, now. Enough of all this." He demanded menacingly. Aella kept her eyes on his without blinking "My answer remains the same. I don't know." "You!" Logan reached for her but in a swift second, Casper has gotten between them, blocking the alpha from doing anything rash. "Alpha, calm down" Casper murmured in his ears. "It wouldn't do to lose your temper and hit her." Logan released himself from Casper's grip and walked towards Aella, his every step screaming danger. She moved backward as he came towards her until her back hit the wall behind her, their eyes still on each other. "I promise, I will find out what you're all about." He whispered with venom in his voice "But before then, I promise to make your life a living hell. Mark my words."

Logan walked into his room and slammed the door, raking his fingers through his ponytail in rage. He growled and fisted his hands, pacing the room as he tried to keep his anger in check. He had always thought he was a master of his emotions until this white wolf came along. How could one person make him feel rage and love at the same time? He couldn't really explain the feelings he felt when he was around her. She was doubleweight annoying, yet appealing as hell. He had thought she was attracted to him too; their brief meeting in the clinic had made him believe so. She had stared into his eyes with those big brown eyes of hers and he'd thought he saw his feelings mirrored in them, but maybe all that was a facade. Her behavior and reaction to him today in the dining room were making him doubt it. He had honestly never met another woman who made him feel such conflicting emotions before. He growled in defiance as his body reacted to thinking about her again, and began to pace the room even more frantically. And yet, with all of this, he found himself thinking almost all the time about her. She seemed to have taken over his thought process, and since he had seen her in the snow, he'd found his mind going to her more times than he wanted to admit. I told you. His wolf spoke up. She's your mate, Logan. Trying to stay away from her and denying what you feel for her won't do you any good. You need to accept that you both are bound together for life now. "She's not," Logan said through gritted teeth "My mate." Yeah, keep wishing. His wolf scoffed. You imprinted on her and you can't deny it. The sooner you accept that you cannot stay away from her the better. "I'll find out who she is and what she's about very soon. Then we would not be having this conversation anymore. It would not matter if she was my mate or not." Logan replied, "We would finally put an end to all of this." Don't! His wolf protested. Don't even think about harming her. It would only cause you pain, Logan. See what losing a mate did to your father. You would be scarred for life. "Exactly!" Logan countered "See what it did to my father. See how it broke him. Which is the more reason why I should end her and end this as soon as possible." Do not harm her. His wolf threatened. "I will do as I damn well please, wolf. And you better start getting used to that!" He yelled as the door to his room creaked open. He turned around in surprise and saw that it was only his beta. Casper walked in cautiously, reading the alpha's face to see if he was still mad about the incident. "I'm sorry, alpha." He said, closing the door behind him. "My apologies for disrupting your... monologue." "It's fine, Casper. Come on in." Logan replied. Casper walked towards the alpha and saw that his face was troubled. He had an inkling of what was troubling Logan but he kept his thoughts to himself. Instead, he placed a concerned hand on the alpha's shoulder. "Alpha, what's wrong?" Casper asked. "Nothing. It's really nothing, Casper." "Logan, talk to me." Casper urged and Logan looked up in surprise. His beta rarely called him by his name since they became alpha and beta. Usually, when he did call him by name it was because of a matter of concern. "Did this have anything to do with the white wolf? Was it because of my going behind you and inviting her to the pack house?" Casper asked. That was not particularly the issue on Logan's mind but he seized the opportunity. "Yes, I guess." He said hastily. "You didn't have to do that, Casper. Why did you have to invite her to the pack house? I really did not want her anywhere around me." Casper let his hand slide down from the alpha's shoulder "Why? I never got the impression that she offended you in any way. In fact, that time in the dining room was the first time I would see the both of you meet." Logan closed his eyes as he tried to control his rage "She is a pesky little wolf with all the stubbornness of a bull. She is rebellious, defies my authority, and deserves nothing but harsh treatment if she keeps up with that behavior." Casper frowned "And you knew all that through one meeting with her?" Logan glared at his beta "Yes. You have a problem with that?" "I'm sorry." Casper looked at him with questions in his eyes. "Your outburst though. Was it because of the fact that I brought her into the pack house or because of something else?" Logan frowned "What do you mean, something else? Why would there be something else?" "I mean, I have seriously never seen a wolf of the female gender get under your skin like that." Casper continued, smirking "It's almost like you're attracted to her or something. Are you, though?" "I am not." Logan gritted his teeth and walked away from Casper, facing the opposite wall. "I just have a lot on my mind right now. With the rogue attacks and everything..." "Are you really sure?" Casper asked again. The alpha could detect the slight teasing in his voice. He turned away from the wall and faced his beta "Are you questioning my answer, Casper?" "No, no." Casper quickly said, raising his hands in surrender. His eyes were twinkling with mischief. "Just saying, you've been practically nonchalant about the female gender till this white wolf came along. In fact, you've repeatedly made it known that you don't want a mate, even though the members of the pack have been clamouring for a Luna. So, seeing you suddenly throw all your beliefs away the moment this new wolf stepped into the picture is raising some eyebrows, mine included." Logan walked forward till he was face to face with Casper "I am not throwing my beliefs away. I still stand by them. I do not want a mate." "That hasn't changed, I know. But..." "But what?" Logan demanded; his eyes narrowed. Casper stared at his Alpha eye to eye and asked him the dreaded question. "Logan, is she your mate?"